Electric switch



Oct.'6, 1931.

Filed NOV. 7, 1929 R. E. SCHWARZ ET AL ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet lTORJ BY h w-s ATTO Y.

Oct. 6, 1931.7 R. E. scHwAz ETAL ELECTRIC SWITCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledNov. 7, 1929 I V NTOR8 y JL 4.

A TTORN? Y.

Patented Oct. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RIGEARDE. SGHWARZ, OFROYAL OAK, AND GEORGE A. MATTHEWS, 015 DETROIT,

MICHIGAN ELECTRIC SWITCH Application fled November 7,1929; serial No.405,469.

. Another object is aswitch in which the changing of fuses may be donewithout danger'to the operator because ofthe complete covering of thelive parts under either open or closed circuit conditions.

1 Another object is a simple interlock between the enclosure cover orhousing and the switch, preventing opening of the former when the switchis closed.

Still other objects will readily occur to & those skilled in the artupon reference to the following description and the accompanyingdrawings; in which Fig. 1 is a central verticalsectionof the preferredform of theswitch.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the switch withthc enclosure doorremoved.

In the drawings, the switchis indicate as comprisinga plate orsupporting platform ofinsulating material near the near edge 53153 ofwhich is a: second plate 11 of insulating material fixed to the firstplate and extending vertically. Upon this second plate areterminals 12to which are secured the leads 13 extending up throughthe bottom of the55,5; device and being fixed by means of the bolts or-screwsl l. Theupper ends of the terminals 12 each have'secured thereto a switch blade15 extending diagonally'upward; and backward so as to present the sideof the 40 blade towardthe front of the switch.

Inthe'form of switch shown, there will be three of the terminalsl2 andswitchblades 15 and a corresponding number of movable elements whichare-about to be described.

15.1 At the forward edge of the plate 10 are mounted a plurality ofterminal members 20, in the present case, three, providedunderneath theplate 10 withmeans for attachment ofthe wiresor leadsl21,:thesebeing-the lines atoor leads running tozthe load side of'the a fuse 28.

switch. A convenient means of attachment of the leads 21 is shown'as thesocket portion 22 with asuitable screw 23. The members 22 are secured totheplate l0 and are provi ded with a forwardly projecting portion 24 {85extending beyond the front edge of the plate 10"or opposite slotstherein so that the portion 25of'the member may extend, up above theplate 10. 'In each of the members 20 there. are two of these verticallyextende ing portions which are provided near their upper ends with ahole for a bolt 26, and in each casethe members 25 are spaced a suitabledistance to receive between them a spring'contact member 27 which iscarriedcg the bolt 26 and adapted to rotate thereon.

-This spring contact member 27 consists of a metallic strip bent toU-form and with the sides bent inwardly and downwardly within the U soas to receive between these two endssggo or side pieces one of the bladeends of a heavy 'duty:fuse.28 .and form a hinged contact and a fuse.slip.

The whole switch assembly is enclosed within a suitable enclosure'or box30 pro- J5 vided with a door 31 and hinged orpivoted on the sides of thebox 30 is a bail member 32, the hinge'pins being the bolt 33 and thespindleend 34 of a handle 35 which latter is mounted on the outsideofthe box witl1:;,g the spindle projecting through the wall and fixedtothebail 32. The several bolts 26 and .33 andthe spindle 34 of thehandle 35 are in alignment. across the box.

Carried by bail 32 is a plate of insulat- 5 ingmaterial secured toithebail as by the screws 41. This plate, when in closed circuit position oftheswitch; extends from near the'front of plate 10 diagonallyupward-towards the rear of the box and in open Cir-.90 cui-t positionoccupies a substantially vertical position, as indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 1. The upper edge of the plate 40 is providedwith spring-contactmembers 42, One for each of the blades 15,. which contact members extendthrough the plate 40 and are adapted to contact on the rear side of theplate-40 with the blades 15 and on the front side of the plate with theblade 43 of In Fig. 1, the full line position shown is the closedcircuit position, and the circuit being from a lead 13 up through theterminal 12 and blade 15 to contact member &2 and 51 down through thefuse of the spring member 27 and members 25 through terminal 20 to thelead 21.

In the form of the device shown, the door 31 of the enclosure is hingedat the top, as at 50, and near the top is provided with cars 51 to whichare pivoted links 52, the other ends of which are pivoted to asubstantially semi-circular cam or lock piece 53 which, in turn, isrotatably mounted on the side wall of the enclosure, so that, when thedoor 31 is opened, the cam member 53 is rotated from the position shownin Fig. 1 substantially a half revolution. Cooperating with this cammember 53 is an extension 54 carried by the plate 4.0, there being oneof these cams at each side of the switch and one of the extensions 54adapted to cooperate therewith. The cams 53 and extensions 54 are solocated that. with the plate 40 in open circuit position, only a verysmall movement of the door 3] brings the cam behind the extension andprevents closing of the switch. Further, movement of the cam andtherefore, the door 31 is prevented until the switch is fully open.

Further, the door 31 is also provided with an eye member cooperatingwith a suitable hook 61 carried by the bail member 32 so that when thedoor is closed and the switch moved to closed position, the hook entersthe eye 60 and prevents opening the door unless the switch is in fullopen circuit position. lVhen, however, the switch is in open circuitposition and the door has been opened, the extensions 54 are preventedby the cam 53 from moving backward and it is therefore impossible toclose the switch when the door 31 is open.

The enclosure 30 is preferably also provided with a pair of stop members65 located on the sides of the enclosure and adapted to prevent themovement of the plate 40 too far forward when the switch is opened. Inorder to provide for installation and repairs or other proceedingswithin the enclosure, it is preferred to attach the stop members 65 bymeans of removable screws 66 so that the plate 40 may be moved, ifdesired, to the position indicated at A in Figure 1, thus permittingaccess to the live terminals 12.

Now having described the invention and the preferred forms of embodimentthereof, it is to be understood that the said invention is to be limitednot to the details herein set forth, but only by the scope of the claimswhich follow.

Claims:

1. An electric switch comprising a fixed insulating support, a secondinsulating support hinged thereto, a live terminal carried by said fixedsupport, a pair of contact members, one of which is connected to saidterminal and the other of which is carried by said hinged support, uponthe side adjacent said terminal, a fuse clip on the other side of saidhinged support and connected to said other member, a movable fuse clipin alignment with the hinges of said hinged support, means forelectrically connecting said latter clip to a load line terminal, andmeans for swinging said hinged support and a fuse carried thereby toclose and open said pair of contact members, one end of the fuse and thehinged clip moving as a unit, without disengagement, the hinged clipalways being in connection with the terminal to which it is attached.

2. An electric switch comprising an enclosing housing having mountedtherein near its lower end a horizontal insulating platform, a liveterminal mounted at the rear of said platform, a load terminal near thefront of said platform and having an ear extending upwardly therefrom.an insulating plate hinged to said housing with its center of rotationin alignment with said ear, fuse holding means hinged to said ear alsoin alignment with said center, a second fuse holding means near the freeedge of said plate and extending to the under side thereof and providedwith means for making contact with said live terminal, and means outsideof said enclosure for swinging said plate to make and break saidcontact.

3. An electric switch comprising a normally horizontally placed platformhaving at its rear edge live terminals each comprising a contact blade,a movable plate hinged at the forward edge of said platform and carryingcontact members adapted to coact with said blades, fuse holding elementsconnected to said contact members on the face of said plate away fromsaid blades, cooperating fuse holding members on said plate and inalignment with the hinges thereof, means for swinging said plate to anopen circuit position, an enclosure for said switch having a door andmeans connected with said door to prevent said plate from swinging toclosed circuit position when said door is open. 4. An electric switchcomprising a normally horizontally placed platform having at its rearedge live terminals each comprising a contact blade. a movable platehinged at the forward edge of said platform and carrying contact membersadapted to 00- act with said blades, fuse holding elements connected tosaid contact members on the face of said plate away from said blades,cooperating fuse holding members on said plate and in alignment with thehinges thereof, means for swinging said plate to an open circuitposition, an enclosure for said switch having a door and means connectedwith said door to prevent said plate from swingingto closed circuitposition when said door is open.

5. In an electric switch comprising a fixed live contact member, amovable contact member adapted to coact therewith and carried by ahinged plate, an enclosure for said switch and a door therefor, arotatable member carried by said housing, and means on said movableplate coacting therewith and freely movable when said rotatable memberis in one position but adapted to prevent the movement of said platetoward circuit closing position when said circuit closing member is inanother position.

6. In an enclosed electric switch, a platform extending to the rear ofthe enclosure and having live contact members carried thereon, a plateof insulating material hinged at the forward edge of said platform andnormally extending upwardly in front of said members, fuses carried bysaid plate on the forward side thereof, means on the rear side of saidplate for connecting said fuses in circuit when said plate is swungbackward and disconnecting said fuses from said circuit when said plateis swung forward, a stop for limiting the forward movement of said plateand means operated by the door of said enclosure for preventing theopening of the latter when said plate is in any other position thanagainst said stop.

7. In an enclosed electric switch having a hinged plate of insulatingmaterial carrying elements adapted to make and break the circuit, alateral extension on said plate extending to near the enclosure wall, astop carried by said wall and adapted to limit the movement of saidplate in circuit opening direction, a cam member carried b' said walland adapted to be rotated when t e door of said enclosure is opened,said cam cooperating with said extension to prevent movement of saidplate when said door is open and means to prevent opening said door whenthe plate is in circuit closing position.

8. In an electric switch, two spaced fixed contacts, a hinged insulatingsupport, a contact on the rear wall of said support and adapted toengage one of said fixed contacts, a fuse clip on the front wall of saidsupport and connected to the contact on the rear wall thereof, and asecond fuse clip hingedly connected to the other one of said fixedcontacts and disposed in front of said support.

GEO. A. 'MATTHEWS. RICHARD E. SCHWARZ.

